Why Are There Two National Doughnut Days?

Saturday, Nov. 5 is National Doughnut Day, and if you're sitting there feeling like you have deja vu, you aren't alone. Not that anyone is complaining over another chance to eat these delicious deep fried desserts all day long, but this second national food holiday does have me asking, why are there two National Doughnut Days? Surprisingly, the explanation may seem as random as the holidays themselves.

Nowadays, food holidays are as common as days that end in "y." Every week, our social media feeds are inundated with National Hot Dog Day or National French Fry Day — holiday after random holiday dedicated to foods of every size, shape, and variety. While some of them have historical merit, most of them are been made up by national food councils in an effort to sell more products. When it comes to National Doughnut Day, it's a mix of both.

The first National Doughnut Day of the year is held annually on the first Friday in June. Established by the Salvation Army in 1938, the food holiday was started as a way to honor the women of World World I who made donuts for soldiers as a way to increase moral. Known as "Dough Lassies," these women are celebrated every year in the spring with a celebration of fried confections and the memorable slogan, “doughnuts will win the war!”

The second of the two national food holidays for doughnuts, Nov. 5's Doughnut Day is significantly less, well, significant. Though it's unclear who exactly started this day in honor of fried dough, it is likely one of the hundreds of food holidays created by food companies or the general public listed on John-Bryan Hopkins's popular Foodimentary.com.